How to Help Your Patients Find Outpatient Mental Health Care

It’s no secret that figuring out when, why and how to access mental health treatment in the United States can be tricky. Here are some tips for helping your patients (or your friends and family members) navigate the often-confusing system:

What type of mental health provider should I send my patient to?

Psychiatrists: Psychiatrists are medical doctors who are a great resource if your patient needs a psychiatric medication evaluation.

Psychologists: Psychologists have doctorates in psychology. They provide psychotherapy/counseling and can also perform psychological testing and evaluation. This can be useful if you are looking for diagnostic clarification. Psychologists also perform evaluations for ADHD, learning disabilities and other behavioral problems.

Counselors/therapists/social workers: This group of providers typically hold a master’s degree and provide counseling. They might have specialities in marriage, family, teens or children.

Addiction counselors: These providers have some training in counseling (perhaps at the bachelor’s level) and frequently (though not always) have struggled with addiction themselves at some point in the past.

How do patients pay for outpatient mental health treatment?

Traditional health insurance: Thanks to parity laws enacted several years ago, most health insurance plans have to cover mental health treatment in the same way they cover other health problems.

Employee assistance programs (EAPs): Many employers offer their employees access to EAPs, which are in essence short term (i.e., 3–8 sessions) counseling programs free of charge. Folks can find out about their EAP benefits by calling their human resources department or checking their employee handbook.

Flexible spending accounts/medical savings accounts (FSAs): FSAs can be a great way to cover the cost of psychological care and can be used for copays, deductibles or out-of-network expenses.

Okay, but who specifically should I send my patients to?

Ask around: Just like with any field, there are great mental health providers, and not-so-great ones. And, there is no provider that's going to be a good match for everyone, so establishing a list of several providers is a good idea. Try asking colleagues, office mates, neighbors and your own healthcare providers if there’s anyone they recommend and start from there.

Recommend a locator service: There are several well-known websites that help folks find mental health providers. PsychologyToday.com is one example. You can also recommend professional organizations like the American Psychological Association (link: https://locator.apa.org) that have search options as well.

Refer them to their insurance provider: For some patients, being able to use their health insurance benefits is the most important criteria when choosing a provider. If that’s the case for your patient, recommend they contact their insurance company directly to obtain a list of in-network providers. This will save them a lot of time and headache.

Get acquainted with your local community and the free and low cost services nearby: Many communities have organizations that provide free, low cost or slidingscale mental health services. Churches/places of worship, K-12 schools, local and national non-profits, university psychology departments and community mental health centers are all good options for finding services for those with limited financial resources.

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Stephanie S. Smith is a licensed clinical psychologist in Erie, Colorado. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology at the University of Colorado at Boulder and earned her master's and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology at the University of Denver. She has experience working in hospital, community mental health, long-term care, school, and private practice settings. In addition to her clinical work, Stephanie is also the Public Education Coordinator in Colorado for the American Psychological Association, where she works to spread awareness about psychology and mental health across the country.